SEASON ticket prices at Newcastle are up by an inflation-busting 10%. Letters sent out to fans this week revealed that, on average, ticket prices for the 12 sections in St James’s Park will go up by 10%.

Adult and child tickets in the Milburn, Sir John Hall, Gallowgate and East stands have all risen if seat-holders only agree to attend next season.

The increase beats the average increase at all Premier League clubs for the 2008/09 campaign, revealed at 7.2% by a study last month.

However, NUFC bosses have pledged that all tickets will remain fixed at last year’s prices if fans commit to a season ticket for the next three terms.

The hike has angered some fans and supporters’ groups but others have backed the plans.

Lifelong supporter Jim Hannah, 47, of Whitley Bay, received his letter yesterday and was shocked that his ticket for the Gallowgate End had risen from £482 to £543.

The schoolteacher said: “Fair enough, if you want to commit to three years – last season’s price is frozen – but the way things are economically at the minute, who can afford that?

“With what’s going on with mortgages and so on, there’s no way a lot of fans can do it. It seems a strange time to do it as well after the season we’ve had.”

The news led to criticism of the club on our website Chroniclelive’s forums.

One fan, Tynemag, wrote: “Just got my renewal through today and was shocked to see that if I just renew for next season it will jump to £543 from £480!! If I agree to pay for the next three seasons it will be £494 per season.”

DaveA7 wrote: “Well we are caught between a rock and a hard place here. A 10% increase is an absolute joke when you look at the ‘entertainment’ served up recently.”

But Paul, from Gateshead, still thinks supporting the Toon is a bargain, writing: “£543 is about 15 quid a game – that’s not extortionate. I bet there’s nowhere else in the land you can get in for 15 quid or thereabouts.”

Mark Jensen, editor of the Mag, said: “Overall, I would say it is a positive move, to be honest.

“They are saying if you commit to three years, you pay a fixed price, and compare that to what I have read is happening at other clubs, like Manchester United, I don’t think we’re doing too bad.

“People are looking for investment and fans understand the mess the club was in under the previous regime. They also see the fact the new owner and board have taken steps like creating a new family enclosure and singing section, which is positive.”

Steve Wraith, editor of the Players’ Inc fanzine, said: “So far, the new regime seem to have got things fairly spot on and they have given us some great offers over the last 12 months.

“John Hall promised a price for every pocket and that is probably what this regime is developing. Ultimately, it is the price of football today and it is no longer a working-class game.

“If you talk about players like Ronaldinho coming to the Premiership on £200,000 a week, someone has to pay for that and the crux of it is, it is always the fans.”

A study by the BBC last month revealed the cost of season tickets for next year at Premier League clubs has risen by 7.2%, more than twice the rate of consumer price inflation.

Research showed the average cost of a mid-priced season ticket has risen to £590.

Premier League clubs are currently benefiting from television revenues which have gone up sharply. But that has not prevented most of them from imposing substantial increases on season ticket costs.

The BBC compared season ticket prices in middle-priced stands between the 2007/8 and 2008/9 seasons.

Last month, United supporters gave a resounding thumbs-up to the new fan-friendly developments at St James’s Park.